Why go to school?
Well over 100,000 children in England are being home-schooled.
A year ago the figure was put at 111,700 – an increase of more than 20 per cent on 2023.
A decade ago there were just 34,000 children being home-schooled across the whole of the UK. The increase has been dramatic.
There are many reasons why parents choose to take their children out of school – or never send them in the first place; mental health issues, safety concerns, the effect of Covid lockdowns and cultural differences.
Some reasons are more sinister, such as the shocking case of Sara Sharif who was brutally murdered by her father and step-mother.
They told her headteacher they were home-schooling the youngster, but a judge later said it was a ‘ruse’ to avoid their brutal attacks on the 10-year-old being noticed.
It’s true that there might well be some exceptionally precocious children or some with particular issues for whom home-schooling could be more suitable.
But in almost every case, the best thing parents can do is send their children to school.
Why?
To run a full and enriched curriculum is very difficult and challenging for parents.
A minority of parents may be teachers too, but the vast majority will be attempting to educate their child with no training. A teacher is a professional who has studied and will more than likely have a lot of experience.
Children learn to socialise and develop through interaction with their peers as well as with their parents. Home-schooling can lead to isolation and loneliness for the child who will not make friends in the conventional way.
Children learn independence by being separated from their parents in a natural way. They make their own friends, develop interests and discover their identity by being with others of a similar age.
Overprotectiveness can occur if these children are not exposed to the normal things that other children are exposed to.
It can leave them more vulnerable and gullible if they have not learned to deal with other children who may be difficult, or how to relate to authority figures such as teachers and other significant adults.
Furthermore, denying children school denies them the chance of picking up cultural references that their generation will relate to for the rest of their lives.
It denies them friendships that might be of great joy and benefit; it denies them the chance to play in sports teams, orchestras or experience other extra-curricular activities; and it restricts them picking up practical skills and how to interact socially.
And getting up in the morning and getting school is preparation for the world of work where the daily commute is still a common experience for the vast majority of the workforce.